Combined signal and license-plate.



E. LIBBY.

comma!) mama AND LICENSE PLATE.

MPPHCM'IGN FILED MAYZZ, 1916.

Patent-@fi June 12, 191?.

fmzmwm E Z. Libby flay:

Ill

' viewed. in the piica'lion flcil 720% it away comer/"o." known that I, Eve /mo LIEBY, jeci oil the I Pg of Great Britain, steel. is the Pro e oi Quebec and Dominion of i invented cerium new and main.

mice has he;

pmrliculni'ly adopted for use on miiiomohiles lo l'LlPlfiCQ, l he "peyote rem .1 soil lie plate. 1 will, lmivover, l:

c that e similar upper T well at the front of tee em",

C l i 1 I llllll use of the invention is not me a n lIOlYlOlOllQS.

u well known that at the pzresenl; time, ii; is extremely cliiiicull; to semi the license plate oi an automobile at night, ow" l to ncclmiulu'tions of dust or mull on soil the very poor illumination is by ihe rem" combined with the movement the cor, make the license number so clillicult to 1- l mit in l'igreat many cases (lri' e p in concerned in mi aeeiclent are able so get may without detection. ()hviovsly such e condition is an encouragement to careless or reckless drivers, and is therefore a menace so public safety.

This invention aims to overci'n'ne these disadvantages to a very great extent, and at the some siine to reduce the number of as teelmieiits to the car, by 'Jrovicling' :1 combination of the sigiiiel and license plate.

The invention consists essentially oi? cos-- ing having one cl? its sides flowed hy the license plate which is constructed with the inscription *chei'eoi. cut out in place of merely printed on the surface. A light, and r.le sirech :1 suiteble reflector are mounted in the casing. When the device is to he used a rear signal, 3, sheet of suitable transparentrecl, colored material is positioned between the license plate and. light, so that "when clay time this material shows approximately black through the eel; out iii-- seripofiioii the license plate eml when li g'h'lell llighi. shows ro l.

Serial No. 99,5526.

In the drawings which illustrate theiinvent1onz--- J. @ieol see ml view near one end lustre-ting the into 01 arrangement.

lie-l'ei'rilig more particularly to the chew- .ihgs ll designates hex-like casing having one entire side open as at 12, vith the e:-:- o ties of on small peripheral flange 13 suf em, in hold :1 license plate i l to the easing. One end of th e is pioviclerl with so'mll door ,15 having a key operated lock l5 through which the license plate may he iiisei'ieil i'en'ioveih and also a. shcci'; of thon -parent colored itoo'teriol 18 positioned behind the plate 1; This sheet of color-eel material 16 is mounted in guides 1? carried inside the casing, which are proli erahly so flllflflg'fifl that they cooperate with. the iishges 13 to form guides for the license plate A further door 18 is provided giving to the interior of the casing hel.1io(il;l1::- colo2. screen 16 and is provided with a. quickly operable fastening such as the pin 18. This does permitsthe insertion and care of a suitable light 19 mounted Within the eesingloehincl the plate ll and semen 16. The light may he electric, as shown in the drawings, 01- i any other suit able type. In the ease of an electric light, a coiv'gin'uzition 590 of the lamp socket may be extended. through the casing at some suitable point for the reception of an attachment plug to connect the lamp with the source 01? energy. If desired, a reflector 21 may he provided Within the casing on the opposite side of the light from the license plate and may be formed to distribute the light as uniformly as possible "to all ports of l piste. At any or the like be provided for coopeim tion with a bracketi'ixecl' to ihe car for the purpose of supporting the (levies.

The operation of bhe device will be readily understood. from the foregoing descriptioii. The output portions of the license plate provide openings in the form of numerals, lei-tel, elem, through which the screen 16 is exposed" in she claysime, a red or green screen with no light suitable point, e socket behind it appears;

black, and therciore the license plule presents the usual appearance. At night, when the lightis in use, it shines through the portions of the screen exposed by the license plate Openings, and the numerals and letters of the lens in an ordinary rear signal, end

as the area is distributed, the signal will, if anything, be visible at grea distzuures than the ordinary red lamp, and will. at shorter distances be much more conspicuous. In Elddition, the numbers and letters of the license plate will he very distinct and easily rec d at much greater distances than possible with the arrangement of license plate illuu'iiimted by the sigi'iel lamp which is now in general use. The reflector insures uniform illumi nation of ell i'unnernls and letters, and tcnsiiies the light, so that it quite as oifeetive as the lights at present in use. When the license number is changed from year to year, a new plate of the perforated type instead of a printed plate is supplied to the can owner, and all that is necessary to change the license is to unlock and open the door 15, withdraw the old plate and insert the new one.

Two separate doors 15 and ill have been shown, which enables the door 15 retaining the license plate and screen to be fastened by a key operated lock, which will prevent 'trzfrnpering' with the license plate or screen, and yet leave the door 18 free to open, thus giving instant access to the light, In districts Where thelew will not peruiit o'l' th:

.use of illuminated colored letters to replace the signal, a snmll'housing 24 may be added to the top of the casing and provided with the usual colored lens 25.

The advantages of such a device are obvious. The license number is fully as legible in daylight as with the ordinary license plate, and is considerably more so at night. The signal and license plate are combined in one, so that there is only one attachment to the vehicle in place of two us at present. As a signal, the l: rger area through which the light escapes and the distribution will render the signal more conspicuous.

Having thus described myinvcntion, what I claim iszp A combined signal and license plate, com prising a casing, u license plate having opening; therein in the form oi letters and-inn nierals, e colored transparent screenbehind said plate, :i source of light within the cusing, whereby light escaping through the screen and openings of the plate will constitute bolh :1 signal and an indication oi the license number, n pair of independently operable closures for the casing connected thereto by a hinge common to both closures, one confining the license plate and screen, and the other giving access to the interior of the casing' without unconfining the license plate and screen, and lrcyless fastening for the other closure.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD LIBBY. Witnesses S. R. V7. ALLnN, G, M, Monnnzinnp 

